fall 2003 newsletter

The Growing Edge

A publication for alumni and friends of Atlantic Baptist University www.abu.nb.ca

Fall 2003, Volume 15 Issue 2

THE GROWINGEDGE

Inside:President’s Report ......................................2The Growth Factor ....................................5Scholarship News .......................................7Alumni Updates...........................................8

Meet the ABUAdvancement Team... See page 4

The Growing Edge

From the President’s Desk

The Growing Edge is the news-letter of Atlantic Baptist University.Its purpose is to inform alumni, do-nors and friends about the Univer-sity and to keep them in touch withthe life of ABU, its family andfriends.

Alumni letters, unsolicited manu-scripts, art and photos are welcomefor possible inclusion. Items for“Alumni Updates” should be iden-tified by class.

Free subscriptions to The Grow-ing Edge are available uponrequest.

Changes of address should besent to:

Amy Hendsbee, Assistant forAdvancement Programs

Atlantic Baptist UniversityBox 6004, Moncton NB E1C 9L7

Tel: (506) 858-8970 1-888-968-6228

Fax: (506) 858-9694E-mail: [email protected]

Production of this issue ofThe Growing Edge:

Editor: Jennifer Marr

Student Writer: Cory Fevens, 2ndyear English and Psychology

Layout, Design & Production:Jennifer Marr

P.R. Committee: Roland Rackham,Gilda Ryder, Bob Murray, Amy LeanMacArthur, Robert MacDonald,Jennifer Marr

Printer: Print Atlantic

Publication Number: 1485768CANADA POST

Dr. Brian D. MacArthur

It is my pleasure to share with you newsof continuing growth at Atlantic Baptist

University. The 2002-2003 academic yearhas been a period of significant progresson many fronts.

Enrollment continued to rise at anaccelerated rate. Following a 30% increasein the 2001-2002 academic year (380 FullTime Equivalency to 500 FTE), enrollmentincreased another 11.8% in 2002-2003 (500FTE to 559 FTE). Statistics are as of June30th each year and include spring courses.Projections for the 2003-2004 academic yearare in excess of 600 FTE.

The dramatic decrease in capitalindebtedness noted in our Annual Reportlast year, because of a $2.8 million dollarcontribution by the Province of NewBrunswick for capital debt reduction, hashelped to positively impact the operationalstatement this year. The CondensedFinancial Statements included in this reportshow that the accumulated operatingdeficit has been reduced by 25% (from$714,794 to $537,967). This is a significantstep forward as we seek to accommodatenumerical and program growth whilestrengthening the overall financial standingof the University.

While enrollment statistics and financialstanding are important growth indicators,the greater excitement is what happens withstudents. The mission of ABU is that oftransforming lives through “qualityuniversity education firmly rooted in theChristian faith.”

ABU’s academic standards are evident inthe success of our graduates, whether theyenter the workforce or go on to graduateschool. You will enjoy reading about someof our students in this edition of theGrowing Edge; stories of how lives havebeen impacted by the education offered atABU, by the professors who teach in ourclassrooms, the friendships made, and theoverall Christian environment.

At Convocation on May 3rd, 2003, 91degrees in Arts, Science, Business, andEducation were awarded to graduates. TheBachelor of Arts in OrganizationalManagement was awarded for the first timeto students who had successfullycompleted the ALPS (Adult LearnerProfessional Studies) program, aninnovative degree completion program forstudents who are employed full-time, enterwith the equivalent of two years universityeducation, and are available for eveningcourses. It was a pleasure for me to visitwith some of these students (age range of25 to 50+) during their final class andseminar presentations. The excitement wascontagious as the Cohorts who had studiedtogether for two years celebrated theirmutual achievements. For some, attaininga university degree has been a life longdream.

ABU is not only about students, faculty,and staff, but also about those of you whopartner with us in this great mission ineducation. Please celebrate with us thegood things that God is choosing to dothrough ABU, as we seek to instill in ourstudents the truth of our signature verse –Colossians 1:18b, “that in all things he(Christ) might have the preeminence.”

Pictured on front cover: Back row (l-r) Jessica Dempster, Lorie Ward, Amy Hendsbee,David Cook, Jennifer Marr, Frank Vincent, Gilda Ryder; Front row (l-r) Ralph Taylor, JulieHall, Roland Rackham, Scott Ryder

The Growing Edge

RecognitionTHE HARRISON MCCAIN SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT

For the third year in a row, AtlanticBaptist University is pleased to have

one of their first year students receivethe Harrison McCain Scholarship. Thisaward, totaling $13,500 over a four-yearcourse of study, is open to any highschool graduate in Canada. It is to be

presented to a student who receives aminimum of 80% after the first term ofgrade 12, based on universitypreparatory courses, financial need,leadership qualities, and a recognizedinitiative in funding their own education.

We are pleased to announce that theHarrison McCain Foundation Committeehas chosen Laura Kelly from Moncton,New Brunswick to be this year ’srecipient.

Laura, one of five siblings, is the thirdchild in her family to enter university. Herstrong academic ability wasdemonstrated at Bernice McNaughtonHigh School where she maintained anaverage of 92% in her first semester. Thisplaced her at 16th out of the 183 studentsin her graduating class. In addition to her

academic study, Laura kept busy workingpart-time as a swimming instructor andlifeguard at the Riverview AquaticCenter. Active in her home church, FirstMoncton United Baptist, Lauraparticipated in such activities as puppets,drama, a Bible study group, a teenhandbell choir called JuBELLation, youthgroup and teaching Sunday school.

Having completed a cooperativeeducation program, which involvedobserving and helping in a grade 5 classat Bessborough School, Laura nowaspires to also become a teacher. She iscurrently taking a Bachelor of Artsdegree majoring in InterdisciplinaryStudies at Atlantic Baptist University andhas plans to enroll in the Bachelor ofEducation degree in her second year ofstudy.

by Jennifer MarrPublic Relations Coordinator

Atlantic Baptist University president,Dr. Brian MacArthur and New

Brunswick Community College-Monctonprincipal, Claude Allard signed an Articu-lation Agreement Wednesday, Septem-ber 24th at the NBCC Moncton Campus.The purpose of this Articulation Agree-ment is to provide the opportunity forNBCC graduates who have completed atwo (2) year Business Technology pro-gram in New Brunswick Community Col-leges to complete their Bachelor of Busi-ness Administration degree at ABU with

an additional two years of train-ing.

“ABU is pleased to be identifiedwith NBCC in this initiative,” saysDr. MacArthur. “The signing ofthis articulation agreement willprovide a solid foundation wherefuture partnerships will be formu-lated for the benefit of studentsof both institutions and theGreater Moncton Community.”NBCC Moncton is also delighted

with this arrangement. “This articulationagreement is a great example of how in-stitutions like ours can work together tobetter serve our clients, the students,”says principal Allard. “This is really forthem as it provides for an additional path-way to completing a degree. Everybodywins from agreements such as these. Simi-lar agreements exist, in a number of pro-gram areas, between the New BrunswickCommunity Colleges and Universities ofAtlantic Canada and elsewhere.”


ABU AND NBCCSIGN ARTICULATION AGREEMENT

ABU STUDENT CHOSENSUBWAY ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

The success of the Atlantic BaptistUniversity Women’s Soccer team can

in part be attributed to the play of SarahHaines. The Blue Tide striker has scored6 goals this season, including 3 goals intwo games versus NSAC and STU. As aresult of her exemplary athletic ability,she was recently presented the SUBWAYATHLETE OF THE WEEK award.

Laura Kelly

Dr. MacArthur signing agreement whileMr. Allard looks on.

Dr. MacArthur and Bob Murray presentingSubway Athlete of the Week Award to Sarah

The Growing Edge

Cover StoryWORKING ON BEHALF OF EVERYONE

The Admissions Team

The Institutional AdvancementDepartment (apart from Academics)

is the largest and most diverse at AtlanticBaptist University. Under the leadershipof Roland Rackham, Vice-President forInstitutional Advancement, thedepartment is responsible for a wide rangeof activities including: student recruitmentand admissions, fund raising, alumnirelations, and public relations. All aspectsof the department’s duties strive to “lookat ways to advance the university,”comments Gilda Ryder, Manager ofAdvancement Programs.

The Admissions team, consisting of DavidCook, Julie Hall, and Lorie Ward are thepeople of first contact with prospectivestudents. The team spends a great deal oftime on the road, visiting high schools,academies, youth groups, camps, andvarious other forums where they might tellthe ABU story to potential students,interested parents, and, of course, theinfluential guidance counselors. But theirsis not a road job exclusively. When in theoffice, the team is busy fostering thecontacts they have made; admittinginterested students, and planning specialevents such as ABU’s annual open-house,ABU-in-View, which allows prospectivestudents to get a first hand view of whatlife at ABU could be like!

In the area of Development, Scott Ryderserves as the university’s DevelopmentOfficer. Working with Scott, helping tobridge the university to the community, aretwo individuals; Ralph Taylor functioningin a volunteer capacity and Frank Vincentworking as a consultant. Together, Ralphand Frank focus their efforts on wills andestate planning as well as annuities andbequests. Scott focuses his efforts onrecruiting new financial supporters, whileat the same time functioning to keep ourcurrent donors and alumni connected tothe university. Says Scott, “I work toencourage their partnership with ourinstitution.” In addition to the efforts ofRalph and Frank, Scott travels frequentlywith the President and Vice-President,seeking every venue at which they maywave ABU’s flag; making it possible forthe university to have more face-to-facecontact with a wider variety of supporters.

Recently, the department has launched afocused effort on alumni relations; wantingto stay connected and to reconnect withour former students who are our greatestresource! Currently, plans are underwayfor the 55Th anniversary homecomingcelebrations being held on September 24& 25, 2004.

With the rapid growth and expansion ofABU in the last twenty-seven months,public relations has become a much largerfocus for the department. The task ofhelping to raise the awareness of ABU inthe larger community is the responsibilityof Jennifer Marr in her role as PublicRelations Coordinator. Responsible forsuch things as creating promotionalmaterials, writing press releases, andcoordinating advertising for the university,Jennifer is a great resource.

Becoming a great university has meantmany changes for ABU over the years. In1988, when Gilda joined the department,she and one other person ensured that thework that is now shared by manysucceeded in positioning the school forfuture growth. In terms of staff additions,Amy Hendsbee serves as Assistant toAdvancement, ensuring that alumnirecords are current, the database ismaintained, and that the Student MinistryTeams are scheduled for effectiveness. Aswell, Jessica Dempster and Judy Parksassist the department by coordinating theefforts of the Atlantic Baptist UniversityChoir and the Student Ministry Teams.

The quality of the education that ABUoffers is being recognized not only at home;in Canada, but beyond our borders as well.“I believe that God continues to have greatthings in store for the ministry we areprivileged to be a part of here at ABU,”comments Gilda. While the AdvancementDepartment is integral in promoting theuniversity, Gilda also recognizes that theorganization’s overall success is dependentupon the various departments workingtogether.

The Institutional AdvancementDepartment is the outstretched hand thatreaches out in promotion to the public, whileat the same time gathers in the resourcesneeded to propel the university movingforward. While the people of thisdepartment may not be as visible in thehalls of the building, their efforts go a longway to keeping the institution viable.

The work of the Advancement Department,in some ways, carries on the vision of themany partners that ABU has come toappreciate over the years. The vision thatcontinues to be uncovered represents theearlier vision of people who had a strongpassion for Christian education, and morerecently, Christian education in the liberalarts. The department embodies all that ABUrepresents quality University educationfirmly rooted in the Christian faith.

by Scott Ryder, Development Officer andCory Fevens, ABU Student Reporter

Amy working on Advancement projects

The Growing Edge

AcademicTHE GROWTH FACTOR

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR ABU?

1997-981998-991999-002000-012001-022002-032003-04

351313316345412450523

8.2519.5030.0027.0027.0031.0042.75

359332346372

*470*539*632

16.73-7.484.107.50

*26.00*14.68*17.25

YearFullTime

PartTime FTE

%Change

(# of students enrolled at ABU)* Includes ALPS

ENROLLMENT AT ABU

Atlantic Baptist University’s studentpopulation has not only grown in

numbers this year but has also becomean increasingly popular topic ofdiscussion. It seems like everybody istalking about the abundant amount ofnew students attending ABU.

“I think it’s awesome that ABU is growing.I think it would be awesome if ABU washuge so that Christ could be seen better,”proclaimed Victoria Hutchings, a first yearstudent.

Andrea Bishop, Registrar, offered somefactual numbers revealing evidence of thegrowth. Last year ABU’s total headcountwas a high 599 students (the equivalent of539 Full-Time Equivalency). This yearnumbers have reached even higher at 677(the equivalent of 632 FTE) , whichrepresents a 17 % increase. Believeit or not ABU can expect to see 150graduates walk across the stage in2004. As Bishop said, “We weren’texpecting quite that number.”

With the greater number ofstudents, the demand on theRegistrar’s Office has increased.Erica Foster has joined their team tohelp relieve some pressure. StudentDevelopment, also feeling the strainof the increased number instudents, followed in their exampleand hired Debbie McPhail to helpaccommodate the growth.

Heidi Soggie, Director of StudentDevelopment, admitted, “I feel like we arebusier. There are always students comingand going. There was a lot of frustrationuntil Debbie came at the front desk.”

Student Development has done more thanhire new staff, they have also packed andmoved their offices to make room for twonew classrooms. Heidi feels that it is goodfor their department to be closer to wherethe students and executive are located.

A new Internet café was also added, takingover the old weight room (which has alsomoved). The painting and design was doneby Kenda Berry, an alumnus of ABU.Students seem to think she did a great jobjudging by the use they put into it. Heidiwanted to thank the students for being

understanding through the transition time.

While students are being understanding,they are also feeling the pressure. Manystudents feel they are being forced to adaptto traffic jammed hallways, claustrophobicclasses, and long line-ups in the cafeteria.Sarah Wile, a second year student said itwell: “I feel like I am being shoved into acan of sardines that’s already full.”

Seth Crowell, Vice-President for AcademicAffairs, admitted that the growth “hurts inthat it naturally puts more strain on most, ifnot all, people. It’s asking some people todo more with the same resources that they

might have had before.”

In fact the student/professor ratio, whichwas 17-1, is now 25-1. “So big isn’t alwaysbetter when it comes to learning,” saidCrowell, who assured us that they areaware of the potential of such a problem.Crowell confidently shared that “there hasbeen a positive response from the facultyas we stretch them a little bit more asindividuals and as a collective.”

Another positive, according to Crowell isthat it gives greater reason for looking to

hire more faculty at ABU. “We’re gettingmore resumes and more contacts frompeople who might be interested to be a partof the team, than ever before.”

A lot of people are wondering if expansionor additions of new buildings isbeing considered. Crowell said noformal plans have been presentedbut emphasized that all options arebeing considered.

The growth is bringing newchallenges to ABU and despitesome apprehension, students andfaculty are confidently facing them.

by Cory FevensABU Student Reporter

One of the new classrooms

The new Internet café

The Growing Edge

Academic

MORE THAN JUST A PROFESSOR...ALSO A MISSIONARY FOR ETHIOPIA

input by helping to design programs toaddress the various issues that effectpoverty food crisis situations.

“You’re an outsider observing andparticipating in another culture,” said Andy.“Everything is new. It stretches your world,it stretches your patience, it stretches yourworldview.”

Andy feels that his experiences in Africa

A professor can influence many livesin the course of an academic year,

but as Dr. Andy Barnes demonstrated thissummer, a professor’s influence is notlimited to the classroom. In order to assistthe relief and development organization,Food for the Hungry, Andy travelled tohis former home, Ethiopia, for a month-long project. He was enthusiastic to speakof the experiences he had this summer.

“I got to see friends. I got to see places wehad lived and traveled before. It was verymuch like going home,” said Andy, wholived in Ethiopia for six years between ’92and ’98, before joining the ABU faculty asAssociate Professor in Biology.

Hearing the news about the rising foodcrisis in Ethiopia, Andy contacted Foodfor the Hungry to offer his services. Whilehe was in Ethiopia, Andy offered outside

enhance the courses he teaches. Africahas taught him a great deal about ecologyand environmental issues. His diverseexperiences have inspired him to teachcourses outside the Biology sphere,including such courses as Missions andInternational Relief and Development. Hebelieves the great lessons he has learnedcan be passed on to his students. Hehopes to “challenge his students to thinkabout the big outside world” and to“encourage students to take an adventurein Christ.”

Andy does not regret his own adventures.“They were wonderful years,” he stated.When asked if he plans on returning toEthiopia again, he replied, “I hope so. Ididn’t plan on going this summer, it justworked out.”


INTRODUCING OUR NEW ALPS DIRECTOR

AMY LEAN MACARTHUR

When the position as Director forthe Adult Learner Professional

Studies (ALPS) program was offered,Amy Lean MacArthur was pleased toaccept. She began on July 1, 2003 andhas been going full-steam ahead eversince. She spoke of some recent changesand some plans for the future.

“It has been a real joy for me to take onthis position,” said Amy who is nostranger to ABU. For the past two yearsshe has served as the AdmissionsOfficer. Although she enjoyed facil-itating the process that got students intoABU, the idea of supporting a studentall the way along their academic journeywas very appealing to her.

In the ALPS program she gets theopportunity to meet with students, admitthem into the program, and guide themall the way through to completion. “Ireally like that opportunity,” she said.

She has recently been meeting with anew group of students who will bestarting the ALPS program on October27.

This fall brought with it a new locationfor the ALPS department, with their ownreception area and central location.Another change has been the provisionof two “ALPS classrooms”. Students candepend on one classroom, whereasbefore they might have been moved

around based on what was going on inthe university.

Amy shared how she is looking to expandthe ALPS format into new academicmarkets. Possible venues include aBachelor of Education at night, graduatestudies, and professional and personaldevelopment workshops. Amy is excitedabout the possibility of offeringadditional venues where students willhave the opportunity to acquire “qualityuniversity education firmly rooted in theChristian faith”.

Amy wanted to extend credit to CathyRogers for her past dedication as director.“It was easy to come on board and keepthe momentum going because there wasalready such a great foundation.” Itseems we can expect the same from Amy.


The Growing Edge

THE STANLEY PEVLIN AND ELSIE B. PEVLINMEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

Advancement

This amazing story has its beginningsin two remote parts of New Brunswick;

Hibernia and New Jerusalem, both ofQueen’s County.

This is the story of two people who had agreat love for the Lord, and an unshakabledetermination to do their part incontributing to the spiritual andeducational welfare of young people theworld over.

Stanley Pevlin, the son of George andMaud (Appleby) was born on September30, 1907 at home in Hibernia. He spent hisearly years as a member of the HiberniaUnited Baptist Church. Elsie (Fulton)Pevlin was born to John and Margaret(Belyea) Fulton in New Jerusalem onSeptember 17, 1913. Her early churchmembership was in the Second UnitedBaptist Church of New Jerusalem. Withthe passage of time these two quiteseparate lives would come together. Theywere married on September 22, 1945.

Although the Pevlin’s had no children oftheir own, the community and its peoplewere always the focus of their lives. Inparticular, the church and its work held aspecial place in their hearts throughout theyears. Their hospitality and commitmentto the betterment of young people wasevidenced in many ways, and AtlanticBaptist University was part of this asStudent Ministry Teams were guests in thePevlin’s home on more than one occasion.

The Pevlin’s eventually found themselvesmoving to Central Greenwich, King’sCounty, New Brunswick in 1954, after theDepartment of National Defenseexpropriated their Hibernia property tomake way for the construction of themilitary base that we know as CampGagetown.

Elsie spent her early years, after graduatingfrom Normal School in 1934, teaching invarious New Brunswick schools, includingUpper Hibernia. It was there that she metStanley. Elsie was a devoted wife, and herlife’s purpose was very clear to all who

knew her – she was in this world to serveher Savior, and this she did through thevarious committees and missions projectsof the Brown’s Flat Baptist Church; thechurch that she and Stanley were membersof since the early 1950’s.

Stanley spent his entire career in the“woods”. As a well-known lumber dealerand pulpwood buyer, he providedemployment for many men during thoseyears, and no doubt has left an indeliblemark on each one! Although he didn’tbecome a Christian until his middle years,Stanley made up for lost time – his lastinglegacy is that of a man who knew his Saviorwell as evidenced by the markings on theinside cover of his Bible – he read it throughmore than thirty times.

While not people to spend their moneyunwisely, Elsie and Stanley enjoyed theirretirement years, spending several wintersin Florida. In fact, one of their greatestenjoyments was being able to share theirjourney to Jerusalem and the Holy Landwith their many friends through slides andpictures.

Elsie preceded Stanley in death on March31, 1993; Stanley joined her on February 9,2002. It is in death that the truly remarkableaspect of this amazing story unfolds. InSeptember of 2002, several months afterStanley’s death, Atlantic Baptist Universitywas notified that he (and certainly Elsie)had left his entire estate to the University!The only stipulations that were attachedto the bequest was that the money was tobe invested, and the income used to createThe Stanley Pevlin and Elsie B. PevlinMemorial Scholarship to support

students intending to enter into ChristianService leading to ministry opportunities.But what hasn’t been said is that the giftfrom the Pevlin’s to the University was inexcess of $250,000.00! To date, thisrepresents the largest single bequest thatthe University has ever received!

Simply amazing! Two faithful servants ofChrist living and working hard all their lives,with a genuine desire to see the work ofthe Gospel Commission continue throughthe witness of young people. By endowingAtlantic Baptist University with suchgenerosity, the Pevlin’s were really askingthe school to use their resources – thatwhich the Lord had blessed them with – tocontinue their commitment to the work ofthe Kingdom, and to be a blessing to othersin death as they no doubt had been in life!

Today, Atlantic Baptist Universityacknowledges the generosity of Stanleyand Elsie Pevlin; two of God’s faithfulservants, and we encourage others whohave been blessed with plenty to entrust itto a Christian University that is preparingyoung men and women to make adifference in a world that desperately needsto embrace the Biblical principles of life.

When Elsie passed away in 1993, Stanleyasked if he could serve as a pallbearer. Hesaid that he had lost “the sunshine of mylife”. By entrusting his estate to AtlanticBaptist University, Stanley was ensuringthat the memory of his wife (and of himself)would be perpetuated. The last words thatStanley spoke before he entered into theGlory of Heaven in February of 2002, werethe words of 2 Timothy 1:12:

“This is why I am suffering as I am. Yet Iam not ashamed, because I know whom Ihave believed, and am convinced that heis able to guard what I have entrusted tohim for that day.”

Elsie Pevlin, 1913-1993Stanley Pevlin, 1907-2002

by Scott RyderDevelopment Officer

The Growing Edge

AlumniA FLOOD OF MEMORIES FROM THE 60-64 REUNION

The year is 1998. We are in the 2ndyear of the Business Administration

program at ABU. Having just set-up inone of our usual “meeting rooms” at theback of the ABU library to tackle the latestaccounting project handed out to us byMr. Dannie Brown, I was eager to sharewith my colleagues one of the latestbusiness concepts I had been

contemplating forsome time. “What

do you guyst h i n k

a b o u t

an internet company that helps peoplesell their homes privately?” After a fewminutes of silence, which was rare withthis group (except for Jeremy Demont),the four of us quickly started turning theidea into a game plan.

Over the next few months, we spent everyextra minute we could working on ourbusiness plan. We wanted to officiallylaunch our “project” in the spring andonly had three months to pull it off. Weconstantly used our professors assounding boards to bounce off our ideas.Within the first three months, we hadused every department within theuniversity to some degree. TheCommunication Studies departmenthelped with our advertising slogans, andthe English department helped with ourpresentation material. The bulk of ourassistance came from Brown and theBusiness department. Brown became ourbusiness mentor. Without his guidance,continuous votes of confidence, and theoccasional injection of reality,PropertyGuys.com would not be whereit is today. He consistently went over andabove his duties as a universityprofessor. I believe his commitment wasdue to a combination of his personalityand strong Christian values. Because of

our ABU experience, and the fact that onebusiness professor, Mr. Dannie Brown,truly believed in us, we were able to growour library concept into Canada’s largest“For Sale by Owner” marketing firm.Thank you, ABU!

About PropertyGuys.comPropertyGuys.com, Canada’s leadinghome marketing service provider offershome sellers a no commission, low costalternative to pricey real estatecommissions. PropertyGuys.com haswon numerous awards across the nationincluding, Atlantic Business Magazine –Top 50 CEO’s of Atlantic Canada andBusiness Development Bank of Canada(BDC) – 2002 Young Entrepreneur of theYear and has been featured on the coverthe national recognized CanadianBusiness Franchise magazine. Thecompany is a member of the CanadianFranchise Association (CFA) andcurrently has operations in 8 provinceswith 20 franchised territories coveringover 100 towns and cities across thecountry. Founded in 1998,PropertyGuys.com is based in Moncton,New Brunswick.

by Ken LeBlanc ’00

ABU HELPED US BUILD OUR FUTURE

As over fifty of the 1960-64 alumni groupenjoyed a beautiful cruise of the

Lunenburg Harbour, the weather on Sept.20-21, (the weekend between HurricaneIsabel and Hurricane Juan!) couldn’t havebeen nicer – except for those true boatingenthusiasts who would have preferred abit more wind in the sails! An extra specialtreat that afternoon was the sight of theBluenose II putting up its sails, and headingout of the harbour just ahead of “our” boat.

As has been the case in each of the pastthirteen years that we’ve been holdingthese reunions, there were a number of first-timers, who had a chance to renewacquaintances with some people theyhadn’t seen in close to forty years. Whatan exciting time that was!

Jean and Paul Haughn did a wonderful jobof hosting the reunion, and their son Chad(himself an alumnus of ABC) did an equallygreat job of MCing the Saturday eveningmusical program. The music that eveningwas provided by Alumni of the ABC era, aswell as some of the UBBTS group. It wasinterspersed by opportunities to reminisce

– and oh my, did those stories ever bringback a flood of memories of our years at933 Salisbury Road!

It was also exciting to be able to announcethat the first 1960-64 Alumni Bursary wasawarded this fall and that the recipient wasRachel Myers, daughter of Gerry andDonna (Cochrane) Myers. The challengelaunched during the weekend was to bringthat bursary fund up to $12,500. By theend of the weekend, the total was $11,861.37, so we need less than $650 to reachour goal. Can you help? If so, just includea note with your cheque mentioning that itis for the 1960-64 Alumni Bursary fund.

by Carol Thorne (’64)Professor of Modern Languages, Linguistics

and Anthropology

l-r: Walter Melanson, Ken LeBlanc (’00),Dale Betts and Jeremy Demont (’00)

The Growing Edge

AlumniABU WAS A GREAT PLACE TO START

WALTER’S STORY

International students who come toABU frequently face many

challenges before they arrive at thefront doors of the university withpencils in hand. With Visaapplications, transcript requests, andEnglish proficiency tests, it can takeseveral years for an internationalstudent to realize their dream ofattending a Christian university onCanadian soil. One such student wasWalter Awinda from Kisumu, Kenya.After four long years of red tape,Walter left behind his wife and threeyoung children to pursue his dream offurthering his education with an ultimatedesire to help the poor in his country.“These people are barely existing,”Awinda comments. “Life is consumedwith finding the next meal. This is what Icame from and it has always been in myheart to reach these people.”

With only one year’s tuition saved up,Walter’s intention was to come to ABUfor a year of study. Upon his arrival, hediscussed with his faculty advisor, Dr.Stephen Dempster, what courses heshould take in order to obtain a one-yearcertificate. Walter’s financial situationwas extremely difficult, but in spite ofthis limitation, Dr. Dempster encouragedhim to “pray bigger.” Dr. Dempster toldWalter that he could obtain his Bachelorof Arts degree through prayer. And thatis exactly what he did. Very few peopleknew about the financial struggles thatWalter was dealing with as he studied atABU, but God provided not onlyfinancially, but also through meals, cardsof encouragement and gifts for his familyback home. “There was a very personallevel of connection while I was at ABU,”reflects Walter.

During the fall 2002 Convocationceremony, after two years of study atABU, Walter walked across the stage andreceived his Bachelor of Arts degree inSociology. He had applied for, and wasconditionally accepted into, the Masterof Arts program of International

Development Studies at DalhousieUniversity. With the acceptance, Walterwas awarded a teaching scholarship, aswell as a tuition scholarship that coveredmost of his tuition while at Dalhousie.“International students normally paydouble the amount of a Canadian studentbut Dalhousie University waived thedifferential fee for me,” says Walter. Thiswas a financial blessing that enabled himto continue on with his studies.

Chosen from approximately 70 otherapplicants, Walter was accepted on aprobational status during which time hehad to prove his ability to excel inDalhousie’s program. Walter farexceeded their expectations, not onlywith his academic abilities, but also bycompleting his two-year course in onlyone year. “Walter contributedimpressively to this year’s M.A. inInternational Development Studies groupat Dalhousie,” said Dr. David Black,Chair of the Department of InternationalDevelopment Studies at DalhousieUniversity. “He brought a wide range ofpersonal experiences, and deepreflections on the limitations of western-inspired development efforts. He wasalso a kind and constructive colleagueto students and faculty alike. We willwatch his future progress with interestand pride.”

Walter successfully defended his thesison September 8th of 2003. ThroughDalhousie University, Walter obtained a

placement with the United NationsHigh Commission for Refugees(UNHCR) where he will spend six anda half months stationed in Tanzaniaworking with Rwandan refugees. Aftermany long years away from his family,Walter will be reunited with his wife,Lyda, daughters, Ilse and Faith, andson, Walter Jr., as they will be joininghim in Tanzania. “It was hard beingaway from my family for so long,” saysWalter. “I look forward to being withthem again.”

With the encouragement of both his ABUand Dalhousie professors to continue onin his studies, Walter is applying for hisPh.D. program with plans to commencenext fall.

“It all started here at ABU,” reflectsWalter. “When I ventured out to furthermy studies, I didn’t know it would gothis far. I could not have found a betterplace to get started in a new culture thanABU. It was through the encouragementof the professors and staff at ABU that Ibegan to dream big. They helped me tobelieve in myself and the potential that Ihave. They encouraged me to go for it!”


Lyda and Walter

Ilse, Walter Jr. and Faith

The Growing Edge

AlumniALUMNI UPDATES

IN MEMORIAM...

Former UBBTS principal, Don Mittonpassed away on August 31, 2003. Dr.Mitton was the principal from 1958-1964.

Former ABC custodian, Bob Cameron,passed away on August 3, 2003. Bob wason staff with UBBTS/ABC for 32 years.

Dawn (Winton) Aubé (’63) passed awayin January of 2003.

Carol (Brittain) Constable (’64) passedaway in September of 2002.

On January 16, 2003, Christopher (Chris)Steeves (’68) was presented the Queen’sGolden Jubilee Medal by the LieutenantGovernor in a ceremony held at Old Gov-ernment House, Fredericton, NB. Chriswas being recognized for his contribu-tions as a ground search and rescue vol-unteer.

Congratulations is extended to Sylvia(Miller) (’74) and Wayne Hagerman (’74)on the birth of their granddaughter NaomiMarie, who was born on July 12, 2003.

Valerie (Haley) Lynds (’75), wife of TerryLynds (’75) took X-Ray studies throughdistance learning while living inBrampton, ON. She graduated fromAnglia Polytech University in Cambridge,England with a B.Sc. in Diagnostic Radi-ology. Valerie and Terry attended thegraduation ceremony in England on April10, 2003.

Congratulations is extended to Heather(Haughn) (’89) and Matthew Prosser(’89) on the birth of their second child,Aliza Jean. She is a new sister for Madi-son (41/2). Also, Matthew graduatedwith another B.A. (honours Psychology)from St. Mary’s University in May 2003.He has been accepted into the M.Sc. pro-gram at St. Mary’s commencing in the fall.Heather is still working at the IWK HealthCentre as a clinical social worker.

On May 10, 2003, Garth Williams (’90)received his Doctor of Ministry in Preach-ing from Gordon-Conwell TheologicalSeminary. His thesis work was Cross-gender Communication: When a MalePreacher Speaks to His Female Listeners.Garth and his wife, Heather, reside in St.Stephen, NB, with their two sons Connerand Kenton.

Congratulations to Becky (Myers) (’94)and Paul Rutherford (’94) on the birthof their first child, Bailey Alexandria, whowas born on August 11, 2003.

Sharalyn (MacDonald) (’99) and JonDixon (’98) are pleased to announce thebirth of their second child, Kathryn Joy,who was born on June 22, 2003. She is asister for Caleb (almost 2).

Shelley (Sebastian) and Glynn Wright(’99) were married on December 14, 2002in Moosejaw, Saskatchewan.

Jessica Graves (’01) obtained her Mas-ters of Arts in English at the Universityof Ottawa in April of 2003. She is cur-rently completing her B.Ed. degree atABU.

Wanda (Emke) (’02) and Trevor Jones(’00) were married on September 27, 2003at Petitcodiac United Baptist Church.

Jennifer (Brown) (’02) and PaulMacAloney are pleased to announce thebirth of their first child, Tyler Owen, whowas born on June 8, 2003. A first grand-child for Dannie and Judy Brown.

Alumni...Is there any news you would like us to

include in The Growing Edge?Send your news to:

Gilda (Bagley) (’83) (’03) RyderAtlantic Baptist University

Box 6004, Moncton, NB E1C 9L7Fax: (506) 858-9694

e-mail: [email protected]

The Growing Edge

Bits & PiecesFACULTY AND STAFF UPDATES

OTHER ABU NEWS

Amy Lean MacArthur, former Admis-sions Counsellor, has accepted the posi-tion of Director of the Adult Learner Pro-fessional Studies (ALPS) program.

Connie Hamilton has joined the FinanceDepartment staff as Business Officer.

Reina Green joined the ABU faculty asAssistant Professor of English. Con-gratulations is also extended to Reina asshe was successful in defending herPh.D. dissertation entitled, “The Diseasesof Listening in Early Modern England,”in September of 2003.

In the Admissions Department Julie Hall(’01) has joined the team as Internal Ad-missions Counsellor, while Lorie Ward(’03) and David Cook (’96) have joined

ABU gets a new sign!

as External Admissions Counsellors.

Erica Foster has joined the Registrar’sOffice as Registrar Office Assistant.

Amy Hendsbee (’03) has joined the Ad-vancement Department as Assistant forAdvancement Programs.

Jennifer Marr, former Assistant for Ad-vancement Programs, now coordinatesthe public relations activities for the uni-versity.

After working part-time in the Communi-cation Studies department for a year,Chris Quek has accepted the full-timefaculty position of Assistant Professorof Communication Studies.

“Knuts for Knitting” draws novice andseasoned knitters alike.

The winner of ABU’s 2ndAnnual 10K Open Run.

Chris Brake

Thank youThank you is extended to HallmarkCards, Trinity Drive and Hallmark

Canada for supplying ABU’sChristmas cards this year.

Congratulations to Cathy Rogers(’97) and the ABU team who partici-pated in the Run for the Cure. They

won an award for being the post-secondary institution that raised themost funds for research in finding a

cure for breast cancer.

Best wishes are extended to Candy Lutes(’89), Student Liaison Officer, and DawnRamey-Crowell, Student Ministry TeamCoordinator, who have decided to pursueother interests.

ABU starts a Best Buddies Chapter.Pictured are Jeremy Quiring and Sara

Hudgins holding the EnthusiasmAward won in Toronto at the Annual

Conference.

Faculty, staff and students picking uplitter during the fall Adopt-a-Highway

cleanup.

The Growing Edge

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

JANUARY/FEBRUARY

MARCH/APRIL/MAYNovember 8, 9:30 a.m.

Mr. Roland Rackham, VP for Institu-tional Advancement, presenting a Will& Estate Planning Seminar at O’Leary

United Baptist Church.

November 8, 6:30 p.m.Dinner and Fellowship with Dr.

MacArthur, President; Mr. Rackham, VPInstitutional Advancement; and Mr.

Ryder, Development Officer at O’LearyUnited Baptist Church.

November 9, 9:45 a.m.Dr. MacArthur will be speaking atO’Leary United Baptist Church.

November 9, 11:15 a.m.Dr. MacArthur will be speaking atSpringfield United Baptist Church.

November 15, 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.ABU’s Fifth Annual Craft Fair

For more information contact RamonaMitchell at (506) 863-6445.

November 16, 7:00 p.m.Dr. MacArthur will be speaking at the

Brookfield United Baptist Churchanniversary service.

For more information contactBob Murray at

1-888-968-6228 Ext. 135

December 11Last day of classes

January 12Classes begin

February 8 & 9ABU-In-View

February 27 - March 7Winter Break

April 2Senior Class Conference

April 9 - 12Easter Break

April 19Last day of classes

April 30ABU Choir Concert

May 1, 10:00 a.m.Alumni Brunch

May 1, 2:00 p.m.Convocation

November 21, 7:30 p.m.“A Thrill of Hope”

A musical/dramatic presentationdepicting the incredible story of hopethat came to earth as a baby, “A Thrillof Hope” illuminates the messages of

renewal, faith and hope in Jesus Christ.For more information contact Amy

Hendsbee at 1-888-968-6228 Ext. 126.

November 28 & 29

55th AnniversaryCelebrations

LOOKING AHEAD...

ABU

Box 6004Moncton, New BrunswickCanada E1C 9L7

ABUCALENDAR OF EVENTS

Quality university education firmly rooted in the Christian faith

September 24 & 25, 2004

SEPTEMBER 2004

fall 2003 newsletter

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